title: Schistosoma mansoni: the effect of thiosinamine in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: It has been found that treatment of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni with thiosinamine for five days had a significant effect on the formation of normal egg-shells within the ootype of female worms. The protein material, not organized into complete egg-shells, was nevertheless tanned and the surface of these amorphous masses was formed into microspines. Normal egg-shell formation was restored following drug withdrawal. The process of egg-shell formation consists of the integration of the physical moulding of egg-shell precursors derived from the vitelline cells, associated with the chemical process of protein tanning. It is suggested that thiosinamine treatment in vivo results in disruption of egg-shell formation by causing a breakdown in the moulding process and not by the inhibition of protein tanning involving the enzyme polyphenoloxidase. Treatment of worms with the drug under in vitro conditions resulted in a more enhanced effect of egg-shell formation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012556:Schistosomicides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013890:Thiourea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012556:Schistosomicides; C009842:allylthiourea; D013890:Thiourea